As March Madness continues to take the basketball world by storm, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) finds itself in a familiar position – on top. With as many teams in the Final Four for the past two seasons as all other major conferences combined, the ACC remains the undisputed king of March Madness.
Miami’s Isaiah Wong Credits ACC for Team’s Success
One player who understands this dominance better than most is Miami Hurricanes basketball star Isaiah Wong. As his team prepares for a critical matchup with UConn, Wong credits his time in the ACC for preparing him and his teammates for difficult tournament games.
The Miami Hurricanes had three straight losing seasons before Wong emerged as a breakout star during his sophomore year. Despite five players departing, Wong stayed and helped lead the team to two of their deepest NCAA Tournaments. His dedication to improving his 3-point shooting and other areas of his game resulted in him being named ACC Player of the Year and becoming the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer.
UConn Men’s Basketball Recruiting Efforts
Interestingly, UConn head coach Dan Hurley had envisioned a potential backcourt pairing of Wong and James Bouknight during their recruitment. Despite UConn staff recruiting Wong and Bouknight hard, it was eventually Miami that won out in securing Wong’s commitment.
Gaffney transferred to Florida Atlantic, while Bouknight became an NBA lottery pick. However, Hurley believes that Wong has all of the skills needed to have a long NBA career of his own.
ACC Reigns Supreme in NCAA Tournament
But regardless of individual player success, it is the conference as a whole that continues to dominate college basketball in March. The ACC has the best winning percentage and most NCAA tournament wins of all conferences in the last eight years, as well as boasting the best all-time winning percentage and most titles of any current or annual conference member.
As Miami prepares to take on UConn, it is clear that Wong’s impact on the Hurricanes has been an important component of ACC dominance in recent years. However, whether Miami can continue this tradition and knock off a tough UConn squad remains to be seen. With so much basketball left to be played, one thing is for certain – March Madness will continue to deliver excitement and drama with each passing game.
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